Coaches should coach, and general managers should deal with personnel. It's simple, it's clean, and it works. Yet this concept continues to elude some NFL teams. The latest example is Tampa Bay, where a very good roster has disintegrated within two years of a Super Bowl triumph.

The tumble by the Bucs
reflects coach Jon Gruden's impatience with the performance of players. It's a common affliction among his peer group. Coaches see the weaknesses of their athletes and want to upgrade. But that's where you need a well-defined power structure. The coach can whine, but the front office must have the authority to sympathize with him and then make wise personnel decisions based not on emotion but on the realities of the market. And ownership must steadfastly support this demarcation of responsibility.

The Super Bowl ring earned Gruden special credibility within the franchise, which had been resurrected through the teamwork of former Bucs coach Tony Dungy and G.M. Rich McKay. When a coach wins a title, particularly for a club that had been so bad for so much of its history, his desires suddenly are on the fast track. McKay considered it disruptive to clash constantly with Gruden over philosophies; the conflicts became so frequent that McKay didn't even make it through last season, instead leaving for Atlanta in December. You notice that the Glazers, who own the Bucs, chose to keep the coach, not the G.M.

New G.M. Bruce Allen, who was the league's executive of the year in 2002 with the Raiders, is extremely competent. But these Bucs have been built according to Gruden's blueprint. The team lacks speed on offense, even with a healthy Joey Galloway. A remade offensive line is too old and unsteady. The Bucs are aging and slow and have no rushing attack, and quarterback Brad Johnson is struggling with all the personnel changes. It seemed after Super Bowl 37 that this team would only improve; after all, Gruden was winning with Dungy's players, and if he upgraded his offense, the Bucs would become even more formidable. So much for that theory.

Gruden remains as steely as ever. He maintains that if injuries had not disrupted the team he and Allen assembled in the offseason, the Bucs would be winners. "I think the future's so bright here I've got to wear shades," he says. That optimism seems outdated, by a couple of seasons.

DRAFT DISH

By War Room scouts

The first safety drafted might be Oklahoma's Donte Nicholson, who is rising fast. Much like Cowboys SS Roy Williams, Nicholson plays near the line, is great in run support, pressures the backfield and has the speed to cover deep. He is building a reputation as a punishing force, tackling with brute power. He needs to take better angles and can be too aggressive, but he constantly is improving.... Tennessee OT Michael Munoz is showing the ability to dominate. An excellent blocker, Munoz has superb technical skills and great footwork, power and size (6-6, 315). If he stays on his current track, he'll be a certain first-rounder.... Purdue CB Antwaun Rogers has displayed the ability to shut down receivers. Rogers is 6-2, 172, with long arms but must get stronger. He tackles well, has excellent recognition skills and is tremendous defending balls in the air. He's a Day 1 pick whose stock is going up.... With his great size (6-6, 240), arm strength and accuracy, Oregon State's Derek Anderson is a prototypical NFL quarterback. He's fearless in the pocket, but he'll force the ball and needs to improve at reading coverages. Still, he has the skills and attitude for the pros and is a first-day pick.

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